Due to machining and/or design constraints, thin wall structures, such as turbine support baffles, are typically constructed of formed sheet metal and often involves welding to other reinforcing structures. This process is time consuming, labour intensive and expensive. Furthermore, welding involves high temperature materials that directly affect the properties of alloys. As a result heat treatments are typically conducted after any welding operation to re-establish the alloy metallurgical properties. Welded thin-walled structures sometimes have to be thickened to account for mismatch which leads to weight increases which can be critical to engine performance. Inherently, welds are sources of increased stress. Removal of unnecessary welds can increase part life.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide a new thin wall machining method which does not involves any welding operations.